Continuous motion closure apparatus



April 1, 1969 c. J. JOHNSON, JR., ET AL 3,435,533

CONTINUOUS MOTION CLOSURE APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1966 Sheet of 4 w n 15 2;; 1 llllll {ii i :31 I I U I 1 in LL i N 1 i g, 2 F I L "J l ;i

E r --n O I Ii s! I I 3 II |l INVENTORS Charles' J. Johnson Jr. Harry G.Westerlund Attorney C.'J. JOHNSON, JR, ET AL Atto ney April 1, 1969Sheet Filed July 1, 1966 I- MW w A w mm mm I INVENTORS' Charles J.Johnson Jr.

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April 1,1969 I c, JOHNSON, JR" ET AL 3,435,588

CONTINUOUS MOTION CLOSURE APPARATUS Filed July 1, 1966' Sheef, 4 of 4 h3 mg; 30

INVENTORS I Charles J. Johnson, Jr. Harry G. Westerlund A T OI'EYEUnited States Patent 3,435 588 CONTINUOUS MOTION IJLOSURE APPARATUSCharles J. Johnson, Jr., and Harry G. Westerlund, Des Plaines, Ill.,assignors to Ekco Products, Inc., Wheeling, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois Filed July 1, 1966, Ser. No. 562,397 Int. Cl. B21d 51/32; B65107/28 US. Cl. 53--366 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This inventionrelates to improvements in the production of a closed package wherein alip defining the upper edge of a container is folded over andinterlocked with the edge of a cover which is fitted closurewise of thearea within the confines of said lip.

Packages of the type with which the present invention is moreparticularly concerned includes a container of any desired depth andsize made out of thin aluminum foil which is shouldered along its upperrim to seat a cover which is secured in closing relation to thecontainer by folding and crimping the lip of the container extendingfrom said seat into tight engagement with the portion of the coverwithin the confines of said lip. The covers for the containers may beformed of any suitable material although a common type of covercomprises a thin sheet of paperboard.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means for folding andinterlocking the rim of a container about the marginal edge of a covertherefor as said container is undergoing continuous movement in a fixedpath.

Another object resides in the provision of improved folding means whichinclude folding elements operating simultaneously to progressively foldrim portions of a container along opposite walls of said container whilesaid container is continuously traveling in a fixed path lengthwise ofsaid walls and between said folding elements.

Another object resides in the provision of improved folding means whichinclude folding means operating to fold rim portions of a containeralong opposite walls of said container while said container iscontinuously traveling in a path extending lengthwise of the distancebetween said opposite walls.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide novel hold-down meansfor the container cover while the rim of the container is undergoingaction of the folding and interlocking means to secure the cover and thecontainer in a closed package state.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of packageclosing apparatus and method as indicated which is simple inconstruction, easy to operate and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will become moreapparent during the course of the following detailed description andappended claims.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the drawingswherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an apparatus constructed andarranged in accordance with the present invention.

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FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of the conveyor mechanism withwhich the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is associated.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top perspective view, with portions in section,illustrating a representative type of container and cover assembly withwhich the apparatus of this invention is particularly concerned.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 1 withportions in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 5a is a similar section showing the folding and interlocking meansin the process of securing the cover to the walls of the receptaclewhich extend transverse to the line of travel of the conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken along line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the interlocking meansin operative relation to a container and cover assembly according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 8a is a modified form of cover locking means.

As shown in the drawings, a container and cover assembly exemplifying apackaging unit with which this invention is concerned is shown in FIG. 3in the form of a metallic foil container 10 having flat rectilinear sideand end walls 11 and 12 respectively. An outwardly extending flange atthe upper limits of said walls defines a continuous peripheral ledge 13upon which the marginal portion of a suitable cover 14 of cardboard orthe like is seated, said ledge 13 terminating in a foldable upstandingclosure lip 15 within the confines of which said cover is secured byclamping said cover between said ledge and the folded portion of saidlip 15 overlapping said cover.

Apparatus for so securing and clamping a cover 14 in closing relation toa container 10 in accordance with this invention, as shown in thedrawings, is applied to a conveyor on which the container and coverassembly is loaded and thereby forwarded through the operating zone ofsaid apparatus without the conveyor stopping. Such a conveyor, as shown,is in the form of a motor-driven endless roller chain 16. The chainpasses over a set of aligned sprocket wheels including a sprocket wheel17 mounted on a shaft 18 which has its bearings in standards 19supported in upright relation on a frame work generally designated byreference numeral 20. A pair of side walls 21 are secured to the frame20 in fixed upright parallel positions along opposite sides of the lineof travel of the conveyor chain 16 via spacer bars 22. Guides 23 alsoflanking the chain 16 and occupying horizontally aligned positions in aplane offset upwardly from the line of travel of chain 16 have inwardlyspaced fixed relation to the walls 21 via threaded adjustment rods 23awhich are mounted for movement inwardly and outwardly of the areabetween said walls via openings. Adjusting nuts 23!: and 230 with whicheach of the rods 23a has threaded engagement act against the surfaces ofthe wall 21 facing said nuts to establish the fixed axial position ofthe rod 23a according to the desired position of the guides 23. Thus theguides may be secured at a distance apart as needed to accommodatevariations in the dimensions of the container units delivered to thearea between said guides 23'. These guides provide upwardly facingseating surfaces 23d with which the ledge 13 of the container 10 mayhave downward engagement so as to thereby fix the position of thecontainer unit in overhead relation to the upper flight of the conveyorchain 16. The surfaces of the guides 23 likewise cooperate with the sidewalls of the container unit facing said guides to thereby control theposition of the container'unit in directions extending laterally of theline of travel of the conveyor chain 16. While a succession of suchcontainer units are thus supported on the guides 23 driving elements inthe form of pushers 24 secured to the chain 16 are provided to propelsaid container units along said guides 23-during operative movement ofsaid conveyor chain 16. The pushers 24 are spaced apart a distanceconforming to the dimensions of the container measured lengthwise of theline of travel of the chain 16. End surfaces of each pusher 24 facingthe area occupied by a container unit preferably conforms to the contourof the walls of the container unit facing the pusher. The marginal areaof the upper face of each pusher 24 along end surface of the pusherprovides an upwardly facing seat 24a in coplanar horizontal alignmentwith the upper seating surface of the guides 23. Thus the seats 24a ofeach pusher 24 provides underlying support for the ledge 13 of acontainer unit along end walls 12 of the container unit facing saidpushers. During such propulsion of the container units by the pushers 24while the conveyor chain 16 operates, a pair of bottom rails fixed andoccupying positions in straddling relation to the chain 16 providebearings against which the underside of the pushers 24 have slidingengagement so as to support the seats 24a of the pushers 24 in fixedhorizontal alignment with the upper surfaces of the guides 23. While therails 25 thus provide slideways for the pushers 24 during operation ofthe chain 16, a supporting surface for downward sliding engagement ofthe chain 16 is defined by a bearing strip 26 suitably fixed medially ofthe rails 25.

A roller 27 is supported for free running rotation about an uprightpivot 28 fixed to a bracket 29 adjustably secured to and extendinginwardly from each of the walls 21. The rollers 27 are thus selectivelypositioned in such flanking relation to the course of the chain 16 as toexert a downwardly and inwardly directed wiping action against theupstanding closure lips of the container unit parallelling the guides 23as the container unit is advanced to a position between the contourededges of the rollers 27. This action effects a pre-folding of theclosure lips so engaged by the rollers 27 (see left hand roller 27 in'FIG. 7) so that subsequent force applied on said lips in a fulldownward direction will avoid (as more particularly describedhereinafter) crushing or otherwise reverse bending of these lipsincident to preparation of the container unit for the sequence ofclosing operations as provided in the apparatus of this invention whichwill thereby effect satisfactory final closing action when the unitundergoes such work after advancing from the area between the rollers27. Each bracket 29 is secured to the wall 21 associated therewith viasuitable fasteners 30 which respectively extend through verticallyelongated slots 31 in an arm 32 of the bracket 29 to permit verticaladjustment of the bracket 29 relative to the path of the container unit.Thereby the roller 27 and its pivot 28 may be controlled to occupyvarious vertically adjusted positions to accommodate a rante ofcontainer unit sizes.

Reference numeral 33 indicates a stub shaft mounted in a bearing member34 secured to one of the Walls 21 of the frame 20 so as to rotate aboutan axis transverse to and below the path of the container unit 10 and inan outbound direction relative to the area between the rollers 27. Asprocket wheel 35 fixed to the shaft 33 has driven connection with asprocket wheel 17a mounted on shaft 18 via a drive chain 36 trainedabout sprocket wheels 35 and 17 as well as a tightener sprocket wheel37. A counter shaft 38 mounted in bearings 39 secured to the walls 21 inoverhead parallel relation to the shaft 33 is driven in a directionopposite to the direction of movement of shaft 33 via a gear 40 fixed toshaft 38 and a gear 41 fixed on shaft 33 and having intermeshingrelation with the gear 40. A stub shaft 42 is mounted in a bearingmember 43 secured to the wall 21 opposite to and in spaced apart axiallyaligned relation to stub shaft 33. The stub shaft 42 is rotated inunison with the shaft 33 via a gear 44 secured to stub shaft 42 and agear 45 fixed to counter shaft 38. Fixed connection between the shaft 38and gears 40 4 and 45 is established via end plates 46 having hubportions 47 which receive the shaft 38 and to which the plates 46 aresecured in spaced apart relation axially of the shaft via set screws'48. Each of the gears 40 and 45 and the end plate 46 associatedtherewith are secured by bolt 49 against opposite faces of a perforatingwheel 50. The wheels 50 are disposed at spaced apart positions axiallyof the shaft so as to rotate in paths in vertical alignment with theguides 23 and are of such radial dimension as to project downwardlythrough a gap 51 interrupting the continuity of the guides 23. Teeth 52defining the periphery of the wheels 50 thus have intermeshingengagement with teeth 53 defining the periphery of similar perforatingwheels 54 respectively secured by bolts 55 to the gears 41 and 44. Suchintermeshing action is accordingly performed at stations into whichmargins of the container unit cover previously folded downwardly by therollers 27 are advanced so as to cause the folded down lips of thecontainer unit and the original portions of the cover confinedthereunder to be subjected to a perforating action by the teeth of theperforating wheels 50 and 54. Such perforating action is effective tocause said inwardly folded closure lips and the ledge of the containeropposite said closure lips and the portion of the cover overlappedthereby to be interlocked by indentations 15a (see FIG. 8) so as to morepositively resist forces which tend to accidentally release the coverfrom the container unit during subsequent handling of the containerunit.

The area between the end plates 46 secured to shaft 38 is occupied by acylindrical shell 56 having opposite ends thereof welded or otherwisefastened to the end plates 46 so as to provide a drum rotating in unisonwith and having its axis of rotation defined by the shaft 38. The drumor shell 56 is of such radial dimension as to have rolling engagementwith the full extent of the container unit measured lengthwise of itsline of travel and the full width of the unit except the portionundergoing action of the perforating wheels. Such rolling engagement iseffective to firmly press the lips of the container unit paralleling theaxis of the drum 56 and the portions of the cover overlapped therebyinto tightly closed relation. The drum is likewise effective to applysufiicient pressure against the portions of the cover exposed to thedrum as to restrain shifting of the cover relative to the containerwhile the container unit is undergoing action of the perforating wheels.

An end portion of shaft 38 extending from an outer face of one of thewalls 21 of frame 20 has a sprocket wheel 57 fixed thereon. A shaft 58is mounted in bearings 58a secured to walls 21 for rotation in a pathabove the path of the conveyor chain 16 and in vertical alignment with aplane containing the roller pivots 28. A sprocket wheel 59 secured toshaft 58 has driven connection with the sprocket wheel 57 fixed tocountershaft 38 via a chain 60 passed around sprocket wheel 59 andsprocket wheel 57 as well as a tightener sprocket wheel 57a. A cam 61splined to the shaft 58 midway of the distance between rollers 27 isaccordingly rotated with the rotation of shaft 58 in response tooperation of the driving means which actuates the shaft 38. Suchrotation of the cam 61 is counter clockwise as viewed in FIG. 5 andexcept for a radially inwardly offset area of the periphery of said camextending through the arc of approximately degrees defining a sector 62,the cam presents a circular edge portion concentric with the shaft 58and of such diameter as to have rolling contact with the upwardly facingsurface of the container unit cover opposite thereto as seen in FIG. 5to thereby prevent displacement of the cover relative to the containerwhile the lips of the container are undergoing bending action throughforces applied by the rollers 27 The linear speed of the conveyorthrough which the containers are successively delivered to the areabetween the rollers 27 and below the cam 61 corresponds to surface speedat which the cam is driven via sprocket and the position of thecontainer unit is so correlated with the position occupied by the sector62 of the cam 61 as to synchronize the arrival of the closure lip belowthe cam when the sector 62 faces said lip whereby the lip escapesengagement of the cam 61 and the portion of the container unit intrailing relation to said leading lip is engaged by the cam while thesector 62 is withdrawn from a position facing the container unit.

An endless carrier defined by a pair of chains 63 and 64 which aredriven along parallel orbital paths via sprocket wheels 65 fixed to ashaft 66 and a pair of idler sprocket wheels 67 supported for rotationon shaft 68 occupies a position in overhead relation to an area of thepath of the conveyor between the shaft 58 carrying the cam 61 and thearea occupied by the drum 56. Shaft 66 is journalled in bearings 69secured to the Walls 21 of frame 20 while opposite ends of shaft 68 aresupported in brackets 70 mounted on the walls 21 for adjustment fore andaft of the path of the conveyor for tightening or loosening the chains,as desired. It will be noted that the lower flight of the chains 63 and64 travel along a line in upwardly spaced parallel relation to the lineof travel of the conveyor. A track defined by vertically spaced guides71 and 72 secured to the inner surfaces of walls 21'cooperate with thelower flight of the chain opposite thereto to control of the flight ofthe chain as well as the path of a fold-down roller 73 pivotallysupported on the links of said chains in bridging relation to saidchains for rolling movement about an axis parallel to the axis oforbital movement of the chains. A sprocket wheel 74 secured to an endportion of shaft 66 extending outside the wall 21 of the frame 20 and asecond sprocket wheel 75 secured to an extension of counter shaft 38 incombination with a chain 76 trained about sprocket wheels 74 and 75 aswell as a tightener sprocket wheel 77 provide driving means foractuating the carrier so as to drive the lower flight of the chains 63and 64 in the direction of movement of the conveyor chain 16. The linearspeed of the chains 63 and 64 of the carrier is sufliciently faster thanthe speed of the conveyor chain 16 so that upon arrival of a containerunit below the path of the carrier, the roller 73 will have a follow-upforward movement at a speed greater than the forward advance of thecontainer unit so as to fold the trailing lip of the container intoforwardly extending overlapping relation to the cover of the containerunit as the latter completes its journey through the area underneath thecarrier. The position of the roller 73 is of course controlled so as toarrive at the beginning of the lower flight of the chains 63-64 as soonas the trailing end of the container unit arrives within the area belowsaid lower flight of the chains.

The side walls 21 facing the area between the drum 56 and the areaoccupied by the carrier support a shaft 79 which is fixed to occupy aposition in spaced parallel relation to the axis of the drum at selecteddistances apart from the drum. A sleeve 80 revolvably carried by theshaft 79 provides a fold down roller with which the leading lip of acontainer unit is engaged and bent rearwardly during movement of thecontainer unit thereunder. The position occupied by the roller 80 issubstantially coincident with the position of the leading lip of thecontainer unit while the trailing lip of the same unit is undergoingfold down action by the roller 73.

A hold down roller 81 has free running pivotal connection with thechains 63 and 64 at a distance forwardly of the fold down roller 73 soas to have rolling engagement with the container unit while the lattercompletes its line of travel through the area below the carrier and saidroller 81 is thereby effective to hold the cover against shiftingmovement relative to the lips of the container unit while the lipsundergo fold down action by the rollers 73 and 80.

OPERATION The operation of the apparatus hereinbefore described is asfollows:

Assuming a constant operation of the shaft 18 to rotate the sprocketwheel 17 in clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, product filledcontainers 10, each with a cover 14 fitted closure-wise of the areawithin the confines of the lip 15 of the container, occupy positionsalong the upper flight of endless conveyor chain 16 in nested relationto the pushers 24 attached to the chain as shown in FIG. 1. As thesprocket wheel 17 turns to move the chain 16 toward the right of FIG. 1,the containers 10 have sliding engagement with the upper surfaces of theguide rails 23 along the ledge 13 of the container which overlaps saidrails 23. The lip 15 of the container extend ing from the portion of theledge 13 in overhead relation to the rails 23 is initially bent inwardlyof the area occupied by the cover 14 by the plough-down rollers 27 asshown in FIG. 7. While thus undergoing action of the rollers 27, the camwheel 61 driven by the sprocket 59 via the chain 60, sprocket 57, gears40-41, sprocket 35 to which sprocket 17a fixed to shaft 18 is linked bychain 36, is synchronized in relation to the arrival of the container 10therebelow so as to apply a hold down pressure on the cover 14 exceptwhen the cam Wheel 61 is in a rotated position wherein the recess 62 ofthe wheel 61 is in downwardly facing relation so as to avoid engagementwith the lip 15 at the leading and trailing ends of the container 10.

While the cam wheel 61 is thus in engagement with the central area ofthe cover 14 of a container 10 as shown in FIG. 5, the container 10 nextin leading relation thereto is progressively carried into contact withthe roller 73 and the roller 81. While the latter are advancing underpower of the chains 63 and 64 during such times as the roller 73 androller 81 are in the lower portion of the orbital flight of said chains.The speed of movement of the drive means for the chains is so muchfaster than the speed of travel of the containers and the position ofthe rollers 73 and 81 on said chains are so correlated to the time ofarrival of a container within the area below the path of said rollers 73and 81 as to cause the roller 73 to overtake the trailing end of acontainer passing thereunder as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 5a as to followthrough with a forwardly folding action of the lip 15 at said trailingend of the container. During such folding action by roller 73, theroller 81 is applying a holddown force against the cover 14 of thecontainer while the leading end of the container is being carried intocontact with the free-running roller 80. As shown in FIG. 5a, the lip 15at the leading end of the container undergoes rearward folding actionunder pressure applied by the roller 80.

Forward travel of the containers from a position below the roller movesthe container below cylinder 56 which is driven at a surface speedcorresponding to the speed travelled by the containers and has rollingengagement with the cover 14 of the container moving thereunder. Whilethe container is thus being advanced under the cylinder 56, the foldedlips 15 extending along opposite side Walls 11 of the container, as wellas the ledge 13 and the portion of the cover sandwiched between saidledge and said folded lip is fed between the intermeshing teeth 52 and53 of the perforating wheels to thereby cut perforations therethroughand head the cut portion downwardly to interlock the cover 14 with thelip and ledge portion of the container 10 associated therewith.

The containers 10 are thus ready for handling and shipment as a completepackage upon being moved out of and discharged from the area occupied bythe perforating wheels.

In FIG. 8a a wheel 154 corresponding to perforating wheel 54 is providedwith an annular groove 153 in lieu of teeth 53 which receives an annularrib 152 provided on the periphery of a wheel corresponding toperforating Wheel 50. Such interengagement of the groove 153 with rib152 acts on the lips 15 and ledge 13 of the container and the portion ofthe cover sandwiched between said ledge and lip to create a continuousinterlocking groove 155 and in the lip and ledge portion of thecontainer and the portion of the cover 14 overlapped by said lip andledge portion.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for securing a cover Within the confines of a lip definingthe upper limits of the side walls of a metal foil container While saidcover occupies a closing position within the confines of said lip, saidapparatus including a conveyor on which said container is transportedalong a fixed line of travel in one direction, first lip bending meansstraddling said line of travel with which first and second lip portionsof opposite side walls of said container extending lengthwise of saidline of travel have engagement to cause said first and second lipportions to be bent inwardly over the edge portions of the cover facingsaid first and second lip portions While said container with which thecover is associated is travelling between said first lip bending means,second lip bending means engageable with a third lip portion of saidcontainer extending cross-wise of the line of travel of said conveyorand in leading relation to the area of the container between said firstand second lip portions to cause said third lip portion to be bentrearwardly over the edge portion of the cover facing said third lipportion while said container travels below said third lip bending means,an endless carrier operating about parallel axes of rotation spacedapart lengthwise of and parallel to the line of travel of said conveyorand travelling in the direction of movement of said conveyor along theflight thereof facing said conveyor, third lip bending means mounted onsaid carrier with which a fourth lip portion of said container extendingcross-wise of the line of travel of said conveyor and in trailingrelation to the area of the container between said first and second lipportions to cause said fourth lip portion to be bent forwardly over theedge portion of the cover facing said fourth lip portion, coverhold-down means supported on said carrier in forwardly spaced relationto said fourth lip bending means with which the area of the coverintermediate said first and second lip portions of the container hasengagement to prevent relative shifting of said cover while the fourthlip portion of the container is undergoing action of said fourth lipbending means, and common driving means operatively associated with saidconveyor and said carrier for continuously driving said conveyor at aselected constant uniform peripheral speed, and for driving said carrierat a relatively faster rate of speed.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first lip bending meansare defined by prefolding rollers supported for rotation about uprightaxes, and a cover holddown roller is supported for rotation between saidprefolding rollers about a fixed axis in a plane containing the axes ofsaid prefolding rollers and parallel to the line of travel of theconveyor.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein cover locking means areprovided in an area to which said containers are delivered uponadvancing from the area in which the lips of the container undergoaction of said lip bending means, said cover locking means comprising afirst and second pair of intermeshing toothed rollers in axiallyparallel position and occupying axially spaced apart positions inalignment with the path travelled by the folded lip portions of thecontainer extending lengthwise of the line of travel of the container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second lip bending meansoccupies a fixed position at a distance from the third lip bending meanswhile the latter is operative to forwardly bend said fourth lip portionof the container which matches the distance between said third andfourth lip portions of the container and thereby said second lip bendingmeans effects rearward bending of said third lip portion simultaneouslywith forward bending of said fourth lip portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,982,073 5/1961 Zimmerer 533663,146,566 9/1964 Roth 53374 3,263,393 8/1966 Weber 5340 3,355,85812/1967 Jahn 53366 X THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT L. FARRIS, Assistant Examiner.

